Pac-12 Notes

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Pac-12 Notes

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October 6th

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USC takes out CU’s next opponent, Oregon State, 38-10

… Related … “Oregon State Beavers squander chances, fall to Sam Darnold and USC” … from the Oregonian

From ESPN … Cornerback Iman Marshall and linebacker Uchenna Nwosu were two of the last Southern California players to reach the locker room after helping push the hydration cart back into the locker room, an apt conclusion to a perfectly workmanlike win.

Sam Darnold threw for 316 yards and three touchdowns, Ronald Jones II ran for a score and the No. 14 Trojans beat Oregon State 38-10 on Saturday.

“We beat them handily, but not like we wanted to,” USC safety Chris Hawkins said. “The score says we played well, the stats say we played well. We can get a lot better. I’m not satisfied, but I think it was a good win for us.”

USC (5-1, 3-1 Pac-12) bounced back from last week’s 30-27 loss at No. 11 Washington State, but its performance remained enigmatic. The offense had 512 yards, but Darnold turned the ball over twice. The defense held the Beavers scoreless in three sudden-change opportunities, but still had the occasional lapse in concentration. Freshman walk-on Chase McGrath made his eighth straight field goal this season, but Ajene Harris muffed a punt.

… Continue reading story here …

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No. 11 Washington State remains undefeated with 33-10 win over Oregon 

… Related … ” ‘We’ve just got to play better’: Undermanned Oregon Ducks falter against Washington State, 33-10” … from the Oregonian

From ESPN … Luke Falk threw for 282 yards and three touchdowns and No. 11 Washington State held Oregon scoreless after the first quarter for a 33-10 victory Saturday night.

The Cougars (6-0, 3-0 Pac-12) were on their first trip after quirky scheduling gave them their first five games at home. The team is off to its best start since winning seven to start the 2001 season.

Erik Powell contributed to the victory with field goals from 25, 52, 47 and 29 yards.

True freshman Braxton Burmeister made his first college start and threw for 145 yards and a touchdown for Oregon (4-2, 1-2). He also threw two interceptions.

Justin Herbert started at quarterback for the Ducks to start the season, but he broke his collarbone in Oregon’s 45-24 victory over California last weekend.

Running back Royce Freeman, who also left the game against Cal because of injury, started against the Cougars and ran 16 yards on his first carry. He finished with 62 yards rushing.

… Continue reading story here …

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Jon Wilner – Analyzing the future of the Pac-12 Networks

From the San Jose Mercury News … The Pac-12 Networks on Thursday morning announced a major distribution deal, in China.

Alibaba will broadcast 175 live events annually. Terms were not disclosed, but the deal runs through 2023-24, thereby aligning it with the conference’s Tier 1 contracts (ESPN and Fox) and making every shred of Pac-12 content available for bid, everywhere, in five or six years.

What happens at that point? And does anything happen before that point?

Those are issues addressed here, in the final installment of my series on the Pac-12 Networks.

(Count on plenty more coverage of the networks in weeks and months to come; it just won’t be part of this series.)

The timeframe listed above is vital to the discussion:

The expiration of major carriage deals following the 2023-24 seasons likely means the nextcontract(s) will be negotiated 12-18 months prior to that point — so early in 2023.

That’s not far off.

Before we get to the long-term options, let’s focus on the immediate situation:

* The Pac-12 Networks are providing terrific exposure for an apparently limited audience of Olympic Sports fans.

* They are a highly-valued promotional tool for the conference (according to two presidents).

* They have limited distribution relative to their peers, partly because of the DirecTV stalemate.

* They have received mixed reviews from analysts and are churning out a modest sum to the campuses (again, relative to their peers).

* Also (and not to be overlooked for a nanosecond): They have grown in value as a media company that is wholly owned by the universities.

… Continue reading story here …

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ESPN Pac-12 picks unanimous … except for Arizona at Colorado

From ESPN … We are officially done with the first month of the season, which means it’s on to the spookiest month of the year — October.

This is the month where teams really find their groove or stumble to find their footing in a race for a divisional. It can get scary for some, as the pressure starts to mount. Ghoulish games are around the corner to trip up the league’s best, while real stat-eating monsters are likely to become even more terrifying for opponents to face.

As the leaves begin to change color, we’re even starting to see a little bit of an opening in our picks. The rookie made a strong move last week with that Oregon pick over Cal. Kyle didn’t even know the Ducks would lose starting quarterback Justin Herbert, but he still went against the Quack Attack. Me, nah, I stayed loyal to an offense that can move with or without a quarterback.

It’s the little things, Kyle. Sometimes you get a little cocky and you start to under-prepare. You get lazy in your execution, and you pick blindly.

Not this kid. Nah, the ATL kid came out to the West Coast to win.

On to the picks! Visit our college football PickCenter page for additional information on these games and many more.

Arizona (2-2, 0-1) at Colorado (3-2, 0-2)

Aschoff: This has not been the start that anyone in Boulder expected. The Buffaloes are still trying to figure out an offense that returned nine starters, but is in the bottom half of the conference in scoring, rushing, passing and total offense. Arizona has run the ball very well this year, and with a week off following a close loss to Utah, the Wildcats will find themselves stealing a win from Colorado. Arizona 28, Colorado 27

Bonagura: Colorado has one of the most talented groups of receivers in the conference, but there have been some key drops recently that need to get cleaned up. If the Buffs want to remain around in the South, this is close to a must win. Colorado 35, Arizona 24

… Continue reading story here …

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October 5th

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Arizona – “Road Woes” instead of “Road Warriors”

From the Daily Wildcat … The term “road warriors” is often used to describe sports teams that have a knack for finding ways to win as a visiting team. It’s a term that emphasizes the toughness and determination of a team because winning away from the comfort and safety of one’s own stadium is revered across all sports.

But that term has not applied to the Arizona Wildcats football team in quite some time, especially when it comes to Pac-12 play. In fact, “road woes” is a more accurate description. As the Wildcats get set to face their first conference road test of the year against the Colorado Buffaloes in Boulder on Saturday, Oct. 7 the ‘Cats will be looking for their first road win against a Pac-12 opponent since Oct. 17, 2015.  Interestingly enough, UA’s win on Oct. 17 came against the Buffs. But it should be noted that Colorado only won one conference game that year, and finished last in the Pac-12 South so it wasn’t exactly a momentous win.

However, that comes out to 720 days since Arizona won its last Pac-12 game on the road.

Since Arizona head coach Rich Rodriguez took over the program in 2012, the team has compiled a paltry 7-15 road conference record. Only once since he has been the head coach has Rich Rod ended the season with a winning record away from Arizona stadium during Pac-12 play. The last two years of conference play stand out particularly because UA amassed a record of just 1-8.

It would be easy to label these losses over the last two seasons as unlucky games that resulted from injuries, last second losses or even just the fact that Arizona was playing a better team, but doing so would be lazy. The simple fact is that Arizona has played disastrously when it has left Tucson.

Of UA’s eight road conference losses since 2015, seven of them have by two possessions or more. Fans probably remember the 49-3 drubbing the ‘Cats took in Seattle, WA. against the Huskies in 2015 and most recent 69-7 loss in Pullman, WA. to the Cougars in 2016.

There is even the final road game from last season when Arizona got beat by 25 points against an Oregon State team that had only beaten one other Pac-12 school up to that point.

… Continue reading story here …

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Pac-12 signs rights deal to broadcast in China

From Bloomberg Group … The Pac-12, the college sports conference that includes UCLA, USC, Stanford and Oregon, is about to get a lot more airtime in China.

Alibaba Group has acquired the rights to broadcast Pac-12 sports across China through 2024, part of a growing effort by the schools to market their teams — and their academic programs — to potential Chinese students and their parents.

The goal, said Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott, “is growing interest in our universities overseas, and particularly in China. Sports play a valuable role in bringing exposure and interest.”

The deal marks the first time a college sports network will be made available in China. Owned by the universities in the conference, Pac-12 Networks began in 2012 and includes programming on one national and six regional TV networks, as well as digital and social platforms.

Alibaba will show 175 live events and 100 hours of original programming annually, some of it via Youku Tudou, also known as the YouTube of China. The slate of sports will include football, men’s basketball, women’s volleyball, gymnastics, swimming, lacrosse and beach volleyball, said the conference.

The financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. It also includes an extension of Alibaba’s sponsorship of the annual Pac-12 China Basketball Game through 2020. This year’s game pits UCLA against Georgia Tech on Nov. 11 in Shanghai.

… Continue reading story here …

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Nation’s best kicker gets another year of eligibility … at Utah 

From NBC Sports … In the midst of the 2017 season, Utah’s special teams has received a significant boost for next season as well.

The football program announced Wednesday night that placekicker Matt Gay has received another season of eligibility, meaning he will be permitted to play for the Pac-12 school in 2018.  The bonus year is related to an LDS church mission that allows his eligibility clock to be extended beyond this season.

Entering 2017, it was thought that this would be Gay’s only year of eligibility he could use with the Utes.

The school noted that because it was an eligibility clock extension uncovered by the university, they did not have to go through the NCAA to get the player another year.  It was also noted that Gay, a walk-on who joined the Utes during summer camp, can actually be a part of the football team through the spring of 2019 if he so desires.

At least statistically, Gay is the best kicker in the country at the moment.

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October 4th

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Jon Wilner’s Pac-12 power rankings

From the San Jose Mercury News …

1. Washington … 2. Washington State … 3. USC … 4. Oregon … 5. Stanford … 6. Utah … 7. California … 8. UCLA

9. Colorado (3-2/0-2)
Last week: 8
Result: Lost at UCLA 27-23
Next up: vs. Arizona
Comment: Seven-win season remains well within range with Arizona, Oregon State, Cal and ASU on the schedule. But that would only get CU to 4-5 in conference.

10. Arizona State

11. Arizona (2-2/0-1)
Last week: 11
Result: Bye
Next up: at Colorado
Comment: If the Cats plan to collapse, they should do it now, with the basketball scandal raging. Not a soul will notice.

12. Oregon State

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October 3rd

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Chris Petersen: “I just want to say something to our fans: we apologize for these late games”

From CBS Sports … Raise your hand if you’ve watched more than 20 minutes of defending Pac-12 champion Washington play football this year.

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

Washington coach Chris Petersen sounded off on his team getting consistent late starting times, and how that hurts the exposure for the Huskies. Saturday’s home game will kick off at 7:45 p.m. PT (10:45 p.m. ET), and they’ll follow it up with a trip to Tempe, Arizona, to face Arizona State at the same time next weekend.

Petersen isn’t taking it anymore.

“I just want to say something to our fans: we apologize for these late games,” Petersen said, according to the Associated Press. “And I’d also like to reiterate it has nothing to do with us or the administration,” Petersen said. “We want to play at 1 p.m. It hurts us tremendously in terms of national exposure. No one wants to watch our game on the East Coast that late, and we all know it. We haven’t had a kickoff before 5 p.m. this season.

“And so it’s painful for our team, it’s painful for our administration and we know certainly the most important part is for our fans.”

He also doubled down, and placed part of the blame on the conference itself not caring about how its coaches feel about kickoff times.

“I don’t think they even kind of care about my voice, or probably any of the coaches’ voices,” Petersen said. “I don’t think there is one coach out there, or probably school, in the West that wants to play our games at late night and all of that. Everyone wants to play in the daytime.”

… Continue reading story here …

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Jon Wilner: “Desperate times” for both Arizona and Colorado

From the San Jose Mercury News … Diving into Week Six:

Best game (in theory): Washington State at Oregon: The conference’s prime-time game ( 5 p.m. on FOX) matches the No. 11 Cougars against the one-loss Ducks. I expect Oregon to play with sixth-gear effort to offset the absence of quarterback Justin Herbert and wonder if the Cougars will function at maximum efficiency in their post-USC bliss. Haven’t settled on a winner yet but could see this being a tad sloppy and not all that close in the final minutes.

Best game (in actuality): Stanford at Utah. On the other hand, I anticipate this being in doubt with two minutes remaining, regardless of the quarterback situation (Keller Chryst or K.J. Costello for Stanford; Tyler Huntley or Troy Williams for Utah). Should be punishing on the line of scrimmage — the teams are similar in intent — and poses a fascinating game-within-the-game: Cardinal tailback Bryce Love (218 yards per game) against the Utah defense, which is 10th nationally against the run (87 ypg).

Desperate times: Arizona at Colorado. Teams are a combined 0-3 in conference play. The Buffaloes were fair-to-middlin’ in a narrow loss at UCLA on Saturday while the Wildcats had the weekend off. Brutally honest assessment: Arizona spent nine months working (unsuccessfully, it appears) to elevate Brandon Dawkins’ game to the point that he could operate effectively in the pocket and limit turnovers. Will one more week make any difference?

… Continue reading story here …

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USC football player under investigation for incident involving Washington State student

From ESPN … The Washington State University Police Department is investigating an incident that took place on the field at Martin Stadium between a USC football player and a Washington State student following the Cougars’ 30-27 win against the Trojans on Friday.

As USC players exited the field and WSU fans rushed it, video shows a USC player wearing No. 93 knocking over a WSU student. The Trojans’ roster identifies him as redshirt freshman defensive lineman Liam Jimmons.

The extent of the WSU student’s injuries is unclear, but they required treatment at a local hospital, according to WSU assistant police chief Steve Hansen. Hansen said WSU police are in the process of interviewing witnesses and have reached out to USC for assistance in getting in touch with Jimmons. Hansen expects the investigation to be complete by early next week, at which point the case will be submitted to prosecutors, who will decide whether to pursue charges.

“We’re aware of the situation,” USC coach Clay Helton said. “Internal discipline has been taken, and that discipline will remain in-house.”

The Pac-12 will defer to USC on any potential discipline, according to a conference spokesman.

… Continue reading story here …

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October 2nd

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Kickoff time set for Colorado at Oregon State

Schedule of games for Saturday, October 14th. From the Pac-12 …

Colorado at Oregon State – 2:00 p.m., MT – Pac-12 Networks
No. 20 Utah at No. 14 USC – 6:00 p.m., MT – ABC
UCLA at Arizona – 7:00 p.m., MT – Pac-12 Networks
No. 6 Washington at Arizona State – 8:45 p.m., MT – ESPN
Oregon at Stanford – 9:00 p.m., MT – FS1

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October 1st

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Pac-12 lines for Week Six … two major blowouts expected

From 5 Dimes …

Pac-12 lines:

— No. 20 Utah is a 5.0-point underdog at home against Stanford (Sat., 8:15 p.m., FS1)

— Colorado is a 7.0-point favorite at home against Arizona (Sat., 6:00 p.m., Pac-12 Networks)

— No. 6 Washington is a 27.0-point favorite at home against California (Sat., 8:45 p.m., ESPN)

— No. 14 USC is a 35.0-point favorite at home against Oregon State (Sat., 2:00 p.m., Pac-12 Networks)

— No. 11 Washington State is a 2.5-point favorite on the road at Oregon … (Sat., 6:00 p.m., Fox) (the line originally had Oregon as a 2.5-point favorite, but the line shifted five points when it was announced that starting Duck quarterback Justin Herbert would be out 4-6 weeks with a broken collarbone – see story, below)

— Idle … Arizona State (next: home against Washington) … UCLA (next: on the road against Arizona) …

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Oregon starting quarterback out 4-6 weeks with broken collarbone

From CBS Sports … Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert was knocked out of the game against Cal on Saturday after suffering what is being reported as a broken collarbone. According to Bruce Feldman of Sports Illustrated, Herbert is expected to be out for four-to-six weeks.

While the injury is not expected to end Herbert’s strong sophomore season, it will keep him sidelined while the Ducks enter a crucial stretch of the Pac-12 schedule with Washington State and Stanford in back-to-back weeks. Making matters worse for the Ducks, starting running back Royce Freeman and wide receiver Dillon Mitchell were also injured in the 45-24 win against Cal.

Taylor Alie now takes over as Oregon’s starting quarterback. The redshirt senior from Eugene has been the team’s holder for most of his career, seeing some backup action in 2015 and earlier this year.

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September 30th

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Bryce Love tops 1,000 yards in five games as Stanford takes care of Arizona State, 34-24

From ESPN … Bryce Love rushed for a school-record 301 yards and three touchdowns, quarterback K.J. Costello passed for one score and Stanford beat Arizona State 34-24 on Saturday.

Love entered the day leading the nation in rushing and padded his total with another big day on the ground. Stanford’s junior running back had scoring runs of 61, 43 and 59 yards. He has 1,088 yards overall this season, the third player since 2004 to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark in his team’s first five games.

Costello, who came off the bench to lead Stanford past UCLA a week ago after starter Keller Chryst was injured, completed 15 of 24 passes for 173 yards as the Cardinal (3-2, 2-1 Pac-12) won consecutive games for the first time this season.

Stanford also got a lift from its defense which forced two turnovers and held Arizona State to seven points in the second half, one week after the Sun Devils rallied to upset then-No. 24 Oregon.

Demario Richard rushed for 80 yards and two touchdowns for the Sun Devils (2-3, 1-1). Quarterback Manny Wilkins passed for 181 yards but was intercepted twice, ending his school-record streak of 192 attempts without one.

Arizona State trailed by double digits most of the second half but pulled within 31-24 following Richard’s second touchdown, a 2-yard run, with 8:02 remaining.

Love, who broke Christian McCaffrey’s year-old record of 284 yards, helped Stanford secure the win with a series of clock-draining runs that set up Jet Toner’s 22-yard field goal.

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No. 16 Washington State takes down No. 5 USC, 30-27

… Related … “It’s like Woodstock. Except everyone’s got their clothes on” … from the Orange County Register

… Related … “Cougars shed underdog label that they didn’t deserve anyway” … from the Spokane Spokesman-Review

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From ESPN … Mike Leach and his team were engulfed in a sea of crimson on the turf of Martin Stadium, reveling in a rare occurrence for Washington State football.

An upset victory 25 years in the making was worth celebrating in grand fashion. And, it proved that these Cougars are true contenders for a Pac-12 title.

“It’s exciting. I’ll enjoy it tonight. I’ll probably enjoy it a little in the offseason,” Leach said.

Luke Falk threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns, Erik Powell kicked a 32-yard field goal with 1:40 left and No. 16 Washington State beat No. 5 Southern California 30-27 on a wild Friday night.

With the national stage to themselves, the Cougars showed they were legitimate, stopping USC star quarterback Sam Darnold and pulling off their first regular-season win over a top-five opponent in a quarter-century. The last time a top five team was handed a loss by Washington State was 1992 when the Drew Bledsoe-led Cougars rolled rival Washington in a driving snowstorm.

Washington State (5-0, 2-0) had lost 15 consecutive home games against ranked opponents. This was its first win over the Trojans since 2002 — that game also finished in a 30-27 Cougars victory.

“We just showed that we were the better team tonight,” Washington State defensive lineman Hercules Mata’afa said.

Falk was excellent against the pressure from Southern California (4-1, 2-1) most of the time, but it was a key 35-yard run from Jamal Morrow that set up Powell’s winning field goal.

Falk finished 34-of-51 passing, while Morrow added 91 yards rushing on six carries. The duo combined to give the Cougars the lead early in the fourth quarter, with Falk finding Morrow for a 23-yard TD on a shovel pass and run. The drive included a key third-and-6 conversion early in the possession and a fourth-and-3 on Falk’s pass to Kyle Sweet for 12 yards.

… Continue reading story here …

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September 29th

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ESPN Pac-12 picks … Buffs the choice over Bruins

From ESPN … It’s hard to believe it’s already Week 5 and a third of the regular season is over, but here we are.

For the most part, the Pac-12 season has been without major surprises: Cal has significantly outpaced external expectations, while Oregon State has done the opposite, but the rest of the conference hasn’t veered too far off course. That all figures to change once #Pac12AfterDark really finds its stride. The phenomenon has made a few brief appearances, but it hasn’t quite thrown a wrench into things like it has been known to do. Not yet, at least.

Does that change Friday night in Pullman?

There hasn’t been a more meaningful game between Washington State and USC since 2002, when Drew Dunning kicked the Cougars past the Trojans — and eventual Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer — with a field goal in overtime. That was the last time USC lost on the Palouse. A repeat would immediately be considered one of the signature wins in Wazzu history.

Colorado (3-1, 0-1) at UCLA (2-2, 0-1)

Aschoff: Outside of the Northern Colorado game, the Buffaloes haven’t exactly looked like they have much of an offense at all this season. Luckily for them, UCLA’s defense has surrendered 500-plus yards and 44-plus points in three of its four games. Colorado 40, UCLA 30

Bonagura: A year ago, UCLA had one of the conference’s best defenses and it was wasted by a lack of offensive production. Through four games, that equation has flipped. Colorado took a step back last week against Washington, but this one should help the offense get back on track. Colorado 41, UCLA 35

… Check out other Pac-12 picks here …

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September 28th

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What could happen to Arizona after FBI probe

From the Arizona Republic … There’s little doubt the federal indictment against Book Richardson could have potentially seismic implications for the Arizona Wildcats.

Here’s one look at them:

• Jahvon Quinerly is unlikely to play for Arizona, and may not play college ball at all. Quinerly appears to be the player given money from agents through Richardson and if the NCAA finds he took it, Quinerly could be suspended for part or all of his freshman season (though it may be more likely at this point he doesn’t play college ball at all, and just plays professionally overseas before joining the 2019 NBA Draft).

How do we know it’s Quinerly? The document reported that Richardson took a total of $20,000 in bribes and gave most of it to a “top point guard” who committed “around three days” before Aug. 11. Quinerly, a five-star point guard, announced on ESPNU on Aug. 8 that he would play for to Arizona.

• The rest of UA’s recruiting class could dissolve. Brandon Williams and Shareef O’Neal may not want to take chances signing with a program that could be under NCAA investigation.

• UA coach Sean Miller’s status could be affected. While Miller isn’t implicated in any wrongdoing on the federal indictment, the U.S. attorney at Tuesday’s press conference stated that it is a continuing investigation. Obviously, any subsequent NCAA investigation will seek to find out if Miller was involved or had knowledge of it, too.

• Current UA players could be declared ineligible if they were found to have taken money from an agent. There is a reference in the document to a current player already having taken payments.

… Continue reading story here …

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Jon Wilner picks the Pac-12 … and takes the Buffs straight up

From the San Jose Mercury News … Week Five feels like a week for underdogs, like a week with over-reactive points spreads — betting lines based a bit too heavily on the results of Week Four.

Another way to view it:

Where would the Week Five lines have been set prior to knowing the outcomes of the Week Four games?

I’m not sure Stanford would be a 15-point favorite over Arizona State if not for the Cardinal’s blowout of UCLA.

I’m not sure Colorado would be a 7-point underdog in the Rose Bowl if not to the lopsided home loss to Washington.

Would Oregon be favored by 13.5 over Cal if the line had been set back when the Ducks were unbeaten?

Colorado (plus-7) at UCLA: Line opened at 4.5 and has jumped — far too much, I might add. The Buffaloes are struggling on offense similar to the way Stanford was struggling on offense … until it faced the panacea that is UCLA. Meanwhile, the Bruins’ don’t have the run-pass balance to exploit CU’s vulnerabilities on defense. Josh Rosen throwing 50 times is exactly what CU wants. Pick: Colorado.

Straight-up winners: Washington State, Colorado, Stanford, Oregon and Washington.

Five-star special: Colorado. I’ll take Philip Lindsay for 165, and the Buffs to win outright.

… Read full list of picks here …

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FBI report: Arizona offered $150,000 to recruit

From azdesertswarm.com … Arizona Wildcats assistant coach Book Richardson was one of four college basketball coaches arrested on Tuesday due to charges filed by the FBI in a fraud and bribery investigation surrounding recruiting.

We’ve already talked about the big things that showed up in Richardson’s portion of the file released by the government, but there’s something hiding in the Miami portion.

Thanks to our Miami sister site State of the U, there is another huge detail involving Arizona that doesn’t name Richardson or the Wildcat coaching staff.

Arizona appears to have offered a 2018 recruit $150,000 to play in Tucson.

… Continue reading story here …

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September 27th

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Mike Leach embracing spotlight … No. 5 USC at No. 16 Washington State (Friday, 7:30 p.m., MT, ESPN)

From CBS Sports … Three days before one of the biggest games of his career, Mike Leach is walking down the mean streets of Pullman, Washington.

“The dog’s tail keeps wagging,” he yells to a passerby. “It looked like a kid in the backseat waving at me, so I waved back. How about that?”

Those are words you won’t read from another coach in America. These are attributed to the Washington State coach as he chats with an acquaintance on the street.

As noted, Leach apparently mistook a dog’s tail for a child in a car. That seems to fit the coach’s profile just about right.

“Are you the coach?” says the passerby.

Those are also words you would not hear from the average citizen of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, if Nick Saban walked down the street.

But Saban won’t be caught walking anywhere because of the potential for being mobbed. Here for a 56-year-old coach in The Palouse?

“This is the quickest way and, of course, I walk to school so I can get something done,” Leach says. “Walking to work, getting the phone calls done. Multi-task.”

… Continue reading story here …

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This post, about the Arizona game, from the 2017 Season, is filed under Article.
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